American Secondary and High School

4.8

There are two kinds of secondary or high schools in the USA: Junior High schools are for children from 12 to 15 years of age; Senior High schools are for students of 15 to 18 years of age. In all secondary schools the schoolchildren are called “students” not pupils.

Many American schoolchildren finish only Junior High schools because they must begin working to help their families. The certificate of the Junior High does not allow them to enter college or University.

In American High schools there are two kinds of school subjects: subjects which are compulsory for all students, that is all students must learn them. These subjects are English, physical education, social science. But there are also elective subjects. These are the subjects which some students learn and others do not learn, if they do not like them, or think that they do not need them. Among elective subjects are mathematics, physics, chemistry, foreign languages, history and many others. Only one in every three students learns chemistry, one in every seven students studies some foreign language, one in every four studies physics. Besides boys and girls in the same class usually learn different subjects.

American children finish school without any examinations.